Chapter 1047: Chapter 46: The Root of Calamity

Just now, the ground shook and cracked, fissures appeared everywhere, and Li Ang had no choice but to take out the Heart Monkey Staff, using its special effects to stabilize the surrounding earthquake disaster.

The Heart Monkey Staff has a negative buff that lowers the Sanity Value by 300 points. If an ordinary person comes into contact with it, madness is entirely possible,

even for Li Ang, holding it for a long time without using spiritual energy can make one feel slightly restless.

However, the trouble Li Ang mentioned wasn’t about using the Heart Monkey Staff to address the current situation,

but part of the role-playing mode.

The script tasks of the killing field games can generally be divided into three types based on constraints.

The first type, without any restrictions, allowing players to freely showcase their own strengths.

The second type, complete role-playing mode, where players replace a character in the script task, sealing attributes, skills, equipment, and items, commonly seen in puzzle-solving script tasks.

The third type, which is incomplete role-playing, severely weakening the player’s abilities in all aspects while also imposing restrictive conditions.

From a conventional logic standpoint, the more restrictions there are, the harder it is,

complete role-playing in puzzle-solving scripts should be the most difficult,

comprehensively testing the player’s intelligence, skills, knowledge scope, meticulousness, etc. Even if everything is done perfectly, sometimes a bit of luck is required to barely pass the level.

However, incomplete role-playing isn’t necessarily easier than complete role-playing—allowing players to use slight extraordinary powers is rather a strong hint,

indicating that there are dangers and difficulties in the script task that cannot be solved by ordinary manpower, equally fraught with peril.

Li Ang slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and asked Wang Congshan, "From your perspective, how do I look now?"

"Hmm?"

Wang Congshan frowned, looked Li Ang up and down, "Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, your face is still your own face.

What’s wrong?"

"Now we are in the role-playing mode, possibly replaced as the male and female protagonists in the script world."

Li Ang said while reaching into the pockets on both sides of his trousers,

from the left pocket, he pulled out a gray canvas wallet, a set of bicycle keys covered with Naruto stickers,

from the right pocket, he pulled out two clipped newspapers, and a harmonica in a box that seemed to be quite old,

in the chest pocket of his shirt was a palm-sized tear-off memo pad and an automatic pencil.

He opened the wallet, finding several yen bills, coins, and bank cards, along with a student ID wrapped in transparent plastic.

The student ID with a white background shows its owner as Ogashira Tetsuya, enrolled in Yanyi High School in April of Heisei 31, with the birth date being October 11, Heisei 14.

The photo of the person on the left side of the student ID is a young man wearing a black Japan Islands high school uniform,

whose face for some reason is very blurred, rendering it unclear.

"Is this a Japan Islands background again..."

Li Ang rubbed his temples, his head aching as he said, "Starting with an earthquake, and now we’re in such a desolate outdoor initial teleportation spot, going to some remote village next.

If there’s not some Japan Islands-style supernatural event occurring, I wouldn’t believe it.

How come there can’t be some lighthearted and exciting task happening in a high school campus, full of naive youthful vibes and heartwarming emotions."

Wang Congshan quipped, "With the style of killing field games, even if it’s a Japan Islands high school campus background for teenagers, it’d be turned into a battle royale or death game with dark undertones.

By the way, the character I’m playing also has a wallet in their pocket."

She took out a similarly styled pink canvas wallet, containing yen bills, coins, and a student ID.

The shape and color of the student ID are identical to Li Ang’s, and its owner is Ogashira Ayaka, studying at Yanyi High School, 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

entering in April Heisei 31, with the same birth date as Ogashira Tetsuya, October 11, Heisei 14.

"Ogashira Tetsuya, Ogashira Ayaka..."

Li Ang said, "These two were born on the same date in the same year, possibly twin siblings.

Heisei 31 is 2019 in the real world.

Unfortunately, the latest coins in both wallets are from Heisei 31, making it hard to ascertain the exact current time."

He examined Ogashira Ayaka’s student ID, and the photo on it was just as blurry as Ogashira Tetsuya’s, appearing like melted paint.

Wang Congshan thought for a moment and asked, "Is this the system deliberately not showing us the appearance of the characters we’re playing because it relates to the final mystery.

Or did Ogashira Ayaka and Ogashira Tetsuya encounter a supernatural event, get entangled in an abnormal status leading to distorted photos?

It’s like how cameras sometimes capture the ghostly remnants."

"It’s uncertain for now."

Li Ang shook his head, returning the student ID to Wang Congshan, instructing her to put it back in the wallet, "It’s possible these two were involved in a supernatural entanglement, or maybe they are already ’dead,’ and we’re in ghost status.

With too little information, it’s hard to make a judgment."

He examined the other items, the bicycle key seemed useless, as there were no visible vehicles around.

The harmonica in the box was metallic, with a high-end black and gold color scheme,

though somewhat old-looking, it was well preserved with no scratches, showing the owner cherished it dearly.

The two clipped newspapers, folded into squares, upon spreading them out,

one was dated Heisei 21, which corresponds to 2009 in the real world.

The headline reads, Folklore Scholar Missing.

[Dongyang University Professor and famous folklore scholar, Ogashira Masashi, disappeared while investigating local folk legends in Gumma County. Rescue teams deployed helicopters to search Yuan Shan for fifteen days, only finding Ogashira’s abandoned watch.]

The photo shows a metal watch on a giant bluestone with a cracked face and the hands stopped at 3:21 AM.

Dongyang University, folklore scholar, Gumma County, Yuan Shan, missing, watch.

Li Ang’s mind quickly captured these key words, clicking his tongue.

If there’s a rule in horror or supernatural puzzle-solving script tasks that must be followed, it’s to stay away from folklore studies.

Folklore scholars NPCs typically possess vast knowledge about mysterious rituals and strange taboos, fulfilling roles as plot drivers, narrators, daring risk-takers,

the closer they get to the anomalies, the greater the risk of death.

"In Heisei 21, folklore scholar Ogashira Masashi disappeared near Yuan Shan. Judging by the name, he probably is the father of the characters we’re playing, Ogashira Tetsuya and Ogashira Ayaka."

Li Ang paused for a moment, clapped his hands, and concluded, "I have a rough understanding now,

it’s likely a ’Where did dad go?’ script task."

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